Troy-Bilt® Public Social Media Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide users of Troy-Bilt social media websites with advance notice of the policies and rules they are expected to follow when adding any media content such as: written content, photographs, video, sound or other text or images.

Scope

Any references to a website or "site" within this policy are intended to be construed as references to Troy-Bilt social media websites such as Troybilt.com, but also including and not limited to, Troy-Bilt's branded social media sites located on:

Facebook.com/troy-bilt

Twitter.com/troy_bilt & Twitter.com/asktroybilt

Youtube.com/troybiltllc

Instagram® (Mobile Application)

Troy-Bilt is continuing to develop and expand its social media presence through the creation of additional social media sites where these policies will also apply. Expect to see additional Troy-Bilt social media websites appear on:

Comments are welcomed and encouraged on this site, but where comments meet the description below, the comments should not be posted and will be edited or deleted from the site without notice.

Including a link to relevant content is permitted, but comments should be relevant to the post topic. (See 'Comment Spamming') Comments deemed to be spam or questionable spam will be deleted.

Comments including profanity will be deleted.

Comments containing language or concepts that could be deemed offensive will be deleted.

Comments that attack a person individually will be deleted. (See 'Primary Rules of Use, Play Nice')

Comments deemed inappropriate, for any reason, will be deleted.

Troy-Bilt reserves the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to this blog without notice. In some cases a user can be blocked, for example, where a particular blogger continually fails to observe these reasonable criteria. This comment policy is subject to change at anytime, without notice.

Primary Rules of Use

There are unwritten rules related to social media ethics and etiquette. At the same time, there are legal requirements that users must adhere to on this website. The top 3 rules are listed below.

1. Cite Your Sources

It's likely as you use social media sites that at some point you'll want to refer to an article or blog post that you read online within your own personal Social Media site Post ("SMP")(eg. blog). You can copy a phrase or a few words without violating copyright laws. To stay within the rules of fair use, however, you must still attribute the quote to the source where it originated. To do this you cite the original author's name and the website or blog name where you originally found the quote along with a link back to the original source.

' Copyrights - Copyrights protect the original author, photographer, videographer, artist, etc. from having their original work duplicated, distributed, republished or used in commerce without permission, or otherwise stolen or misused. Essentially, if you did not create a piece of content on your blog, someone else holds the copyright to it. Therefore, to avoid being accused of plagiarizing, you must cite your source for that piece of information and request written permission from the original owner for the content you want to republish on your blog.

' Fair Use ' Fair Use is a rather grey area of copyright law. Fair Use permits you to reuse someone else's material on your blog for the purpose of providing criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching or research. If your use fits one of these categories, then you may not have to seek permission. Whether or not Fair Use applies is subjective.

2. Ask Permission

If you plan to republish more than a few words or phrases of someone else's work on your SMP, in spite of the Fair Use exception, it's best to err on the side of caution and ask the original author for permission to republish their words with proper attribution on your SMP.

Unless a photo or image you plan to use comes from a source that clearly gives permission for you to use it on your SMP, you must ask the original photographer or designer for permission to use it on your SMP (with the proper attribution).

3. Play Nice

Just because it is your SMP does not mean you can simply write anything you want without repercussions. The content on your SMP is available for anyone to see. Works published in an SMP can be considered libel or slander. Avoid creating legal issues by writing with all potential readers in mind. You never know who might read your SMP.

Comment Spamming

Comment spam occurs when a person leaves a comment on a blog post that overtly includes links to the commenting person's blog or website solely for the purpose of building link count and boosting search engine results. To avoid being accused of comment spam, only include links within your comments if they are not excessive, and are relevant and useful to the conversation.

Terms and Conditions

All content provided on social media sites is for informational purposes only. Troy-Bilt does not pre-screen or regularly review posted content. Troy-Bilt makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. All content posted is the sole responsibility of the individual who originally posted the content. Troy-Bilt will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. Troy-Bilt will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

This site is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Troy-Bilt makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the site's operation or the information, content or materials included on this site. To the full extent permissible by applicable law, Troy-Bilt hereby disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for any particular purpose. Troy-Bilt will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of or inability to use this site. Any use of this site shall be solely at the user's own risk.

Troy-Bilt, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to change the Policies and Terms at any time. Users are responsible for regularly reviewing these Terms. Your continued use of the Services constitutes your agreement to observe and abide by all such Policies and Terms. Thank you for participating. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.